In Memory of….. Sp4 Frank Akeley Barker, Jr.
*** Buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Section 34 Grave 2083. interment 10/12/1995.
*** Burial: Barrancas National Cemetery, Pensacola, Escambia County, Florida, Plot: Section 30 Site 148
You may be gone, no longer living on this earth; but you will live on - in the memories of your family and friends. There will always be a part of you living in those who knew you. You will live on because we remember you!
FRANK AKELEY BARKER - Army - LTC - O5
Age: 40
Race: Caucasian
Date of Birth Jan 26, 1928
From: NEW HAVEN, CT
Religion: CONGREGATIONAL CHRISTIAN
Marital Status: Married - Dottie Barker on Dec. 1964 in Broward Co., Florida and Daughter, Paige Moore Barker
Birth: May 5, 1966 - Death: Jun. 29, 1966. Son, Frank Akeley Barker,III, Married 1988 in Broward, Florida. Three Grandchildren.
Parents: Father, Frank Akeley Barker,Sr. Born Oct. 28, 1906 and Died March 13, 1978 at the age of 72 yrs old in Dade,Florida. Mother, Ruth Barker.
***** My Father, My Hero
I'm the only child, of Lt. Col. Barker, my name is Frank Akeley Barker III. It is my privilege and pleasure to be of the same blood as this man. My father died when I was only 2, he adopted my older brother and sister, when he married my mother, Dottie Barker, where LZ., Dottie came from so I have no memories of him, only pictures. Everything I have read and seen points to the man that I would have taken pleasure in making proud. I now have 3 children that I have told all about their grandfather and we are enjoying spending time with my mother who has never remarried, because she feels she married a perfect man and when you have had the best, there can be no other. I thank everyone for their gracious comments and know that bravery lives on, in all of us who have lost.
Frank Barker
Son
Matthews, NC., 28105
***** Frank A. Barker Jr in the 1940 Census
First Name: Frank
Middle Name: A.
Last Name: Barker Suffix: Jr
Age at Time of Census: 12
Gender: Male
Race: White
Ethnicity: American
Birth Year: 1928
Birth Location: Connecticut
Residence: East Haven Town, New Haven, CT
Relationship to Head of Household: Son
Other People in Household:
Frank Barker
33 yrs, Male
Ruth Barker
29 yrs, Female
Pauline Barker
9 yrs, Female
***** According, to the book, My Lai, 4-A, Report on the Massacre and It's Aftermath by Seymour M. Hersh, Lt., Col., Barker planned the My Lai mission, with Capt. Medina. It was Medina who ordered Lt. Calley to take My Lai. The book leaves the reader with the impression that the orders were not detailed and in fact were vague to the extent that there were differences of opinion as to the objective of the mission.
Duty, honor, country.
Charles Lafferty
***** To my commander
I served with LTC Barker as his S-2. Col Barker was without question the finest CO I served under during my 20+ years of military service. A true gentleman who held the respect and admiration of all who had the honor and pleasure of serving along side him.
Rest in peace SIR. I think of you often.
Major (ret) Eugene M. Kotouc
LTC - O5 - Army - Regular
Length of service 18 years
His tour began on Nov 26, 1967
Casualty was on Jun 13, 1968
MILITARY DATA:
Service: Army of the United States
Grade at loss: O5
Rank: Lieutenant Colonel
ID No: OF114736
MOS: 51542: Infantry Unit Commander (Nuclear Qual)
Length Service: 18
Unit: HHC, 4TH BN, 3RD INFANTRY, 11TH INFANTRY BDE, AMERICAL DIV, USARV
CASUALTY DATA:
Start Tour: 11/26/1967
Incident Date: 06/13/1968
Casualty Date: 06/13/1968
Age at Loss: 40
Location: Quang Ngai Province, South Vietnam
Remains: Body recovered
Casualty Type: Hostile, died outright
Casualty Reason: Helicopter - Noncrew
Casualty Detail: Air loss or crash over land
In QUANG NGAI, SOUTH VIETNAM
HOSTILE, HELICOPTER - NONCREW
AIR LOSS, CRASH ON LAND
Body was recovered
Panel 57W - Line 6
Others in incident: Warrant Officer Johnson, Specialist 4 Milton, and Private First Class Weamer were crewmembers on the helicopter; and Lieutenant Colonel Barker, Captain Michles, and First Lieutenant Phillips were passengers.
Colonel Barker was the Battalion Commander at the My-Lai "Massacre," but was killed before the incident was made public.
On 16 March 1968, at about 0800, soldiers of Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 20th Infantry of the Americal Division assaulted a hamlet in South Vietnam's Quang Ngai Province called by the Vietnamese Thuan Yen but known to the Americans as My Lai 4.
On this morning, Charlie company was part of a temporarily assembled strike force called Task Force (TF) Barker, named for its commander Lieutenant Colonel Frank Barker.
The mission of TF Barker was to locate and destroy Vietcong main-force combat units in an area on the coast of the South China Sea known to be a VC political and military stronghold. The company met no resistance as it assaulted the hamlet, but by noon every living thing in My Lai that the troops could find, men, women, children, and livestock was dead.
According to South and North Vietnamese sources, 504 civilians were killed in and around My Lai. Charlie Company suffered one casualty, the result of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the foot. The company's after-action report claimed 128 enemy killed and three weapons recovered.
For over a year, the event lay dormant, but after a letter was sent to the Army and members of Congress by a recently-discharged soldier, the Army began an investigation and Seymour Hersh broke the story in the press. A number of soldiers from Charlie Company were charged with murder. All were acquitted or had their charges dropped except for Lieutenant William Calley, a Charlie Company platoon commander, who was convicted of premeditated murder by a court martial and sentenced to life imprisonment. After various reviews and appeals, he served only four and a half months. Twelve officers were accused of covering up the incident. Only one was tried by court-martial, and he was acquitted.
*************************************************
Captain Michles had served his first 6 months as a Company Commander and was moved to the position of S-2. On the morning of 13 June 1968 Co A 4-3 Infantry had come in contact with an unknown sized enemy force in the Batangin area vicinity My Lai. Colonel Barker, the battalion commander along with Captain Michles and the the Battalion Forward observer left the fire base at Lz Dottie via helicopter to coordinate Co A's mission when the helicopter was "cut-in-half" by an air force FAC who was working in the adjoing AO with the ARVN's. After firing a marking rocket to mark enemy positions for the ARVN unit the plane ran into Colonel Barkers C&C ship which was hovering over co A's position. Colonel Barker, Captain Michles, Lieutenant Phillips and the helicopter crew were all killed.
*****************************************
Additional information about this casualty:
In 1993, a Vietnamese man searching for aluminum scrap at the crash site discovered human remains. Army investigators and a Vietnamese support team went in, and they found bits of bone and scraps of metal, fragments from the crash.
Carter had been the only crew member not positively identified years earlier. The purpose of the original mission was to take LTC Frank A. Barker, Jr. to find two companies from his battalion that had been pinned down by the Viet Cong.
He found them and called in Air Force aerial support. While the helicopter hovered nearby, the Air Force jets thundered in, bombing the Viet Cong. One plane got hit and spun into the helicopter causing both to crash. No one survived. Rescue crews found the Air Force pilot with a bullet through his head.
from Sun-Sentinel, Sunday, October 8, 1995
****************************
.
*** Buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Section 34 Grave 2083. interment 10/12/1995.
*** Burial: Barrancas National Cemetery, Pensacola, Escambia County, Florida, Plot: Section 30 Site 148
You may be gone, no longer living on this earth; but you will live on - in the memories of your family and friends. There will always be a part of you living in those who knew you. You will live on because we remember you!
FRANK AKELEY BARKER - Army - LTC - O5
Age: 40
Race: Caucasian
Date of Birth Jan 26, 1928
From: NEW HAVEN, CT
Religion: CONGREGATIONAL CHRISTIAN
Marital Status: Married - Dottie Barker on Dec. 1964 in Broward Co., Florida and Daughter, Paige Moore Barker
Birth: May 5, 1966 - Death: Jun. 29, 1966. Son, Frank Akeley Barker,III, Married 1988 in Broward, Florida. Three Grandchildren.
Parents: Father, Frank Akeley Barker,Sr. Born Oct. 28, 1906 and Died March 13, 1978 at the age of 72 yrs old in Dade,Florida. Mother, Ruth Barker.
***** My Father, My Hero
I'm the only child, of Lt. Col. Barker, my name is Frank Akeley Barker III. It is my privilege and pleasure to be of the same blood as this man. My father died when I was only 2, he adopted my older brother and sister, when he married my mother, Dottie Barker, where LZ., Dottie came from so I have no memories of him, only pictures. Everything I have read and seen points to the man that I would have taken pleasure in making proud. I now have 3 children that I have told all about their grandfather and we are enjoying spending time with my mother who has never remarried, because she feels she married a perfect man and when you have had the best, there can be no other. I thank everyone for their gracious comments and know that bravery lives on, in all of us who have lost.
Frank Barker
Son
Matthews, NC., 28105
***** Frank A. Barker Jr in the 1940 Census
First Name: Frank
Middle Name: A.
Last Name: Barker Suffix: Jr
Age at Time of Census: 12
Gender: Male
Race: White
Ethnicity: American
Birth Year: 1928
Birth Location: Connecticut
Residence: East Haven Town, New Haven, CT
Relationship to Head of Household: Son
Other People in Household:
Frank Barker
33 yrs, Male
Ruth Barker
29 yrs, Female
Pauline Barker
9 yrs, Female
***** According, to the book, My Lai, 4-A, Report on the Massacre and It's Aftermath by Seymour M. Hersh, Lt., Col., Barker planned the My Lai mission, with Capt. Medina. It was Medina who ordered Lt. Calley to take My Lai. The book leaves the reader with the impression that the orders were not detailed and in fact were vague to the extent that there were differences of opinion as to the objective of the mission.
Duty, honor, country.
Charles Lafferty
***** To my commander
I served with LTC Barker as his S-2. Col Barker was without question the finest CO I served under during my 20+ years of military service. A true gentleman who held the respect and admiration of all who had the honor and pleasure of serving along side him.
Rest in peace SIR. I think of you often.
Major (ret) Eugene M. Kotouc
LTC - O5 - Army - Regular
Length of service 18 years
His tour began on Nov 26, 1967
Casualty was on Jun 13, 1968
MILITARY DATA:
Service: Army of the United States
Grade at loss: O5
Rank: Lieutenant Colonel
ID No: OF114736
MOS: 51542: Infantry Unit Commander (Nuclear Qual)
Length Service: 18
Unit: HHC, 4TH BN, 3RD INFANTRY, 11TH INFANTRY BDE, AMERICAL DIV, USARV
CASUALTY DATA:
Start Tour: 11/26/1967
Incident Date: 06/13/1968
Casualty Date: 06/13/1968
Age at Loss: 40
Location: Quang Ngai Province, South Vietnam
Remains: Body recovered
Casualty Type: Hostile, died outright
Casualty Reason: Helicopter - Noncrew
Casualty Detail: Air loss or crash over land
In QUANG NGAI, SOUTH VIETNAM
HOSTILE, HELICOPTER - NONCREW
AIR LOSS, CRASH ON LAND
Body was recovered
Panel 57W - Line 6
Others in incident: Warrant Officer Johnson, Specialist 4 Milton, and Private First Class Weamer were crewmembers on the helicopter; and Lieutenant Colonel Barker, Captain Michles, and First Lieutenant Phillips were passengers.
Colonel Barker was the Battalion Commander at the My-Lai "Massacre," but was killed before the incident was made public.
On 16 March 1968, at about 0800, soldiers of Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 20th Infantry of the Americal Division assaulted a hamlet in South Vietnam's Quang Ngai Province called by the Vietnamese Thuan Yen but known to the Americans as My Lai 4.
On this morning, Charlie company was part of a temporarily assembled strike force called Task Force (TF) Barker, named for its commander Lieutenant Colonel Frank Barker.
The mission of TF Barker was to locate and destroy Vietcong main-force combat units in an area on the coast of the South China Sea known to be a VC political and military stronghold. The company met no resistance as it assaulted the hamlet, but by noon every living thing in My Lai that the troops could find, men, women, children, and livestock was dead.
According to South and North Vietnamese sources, 504 civilians were killed in and around My Lai. Charlie Company suffered one casualty, the result of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the foot. The company's after-action report claimed 128 enemy killed and three weapons recovered.
For over a year, the event lay dormant, but after a letter was sent to the Army and members of Congress by a recently-discharged soldier, the Army began an investigation and Seymour Hersh broke the story in the press. A number of soldiers from Charlie Company were charged with murder. All were acquitted or had their charges dropped except for Lieutenant William Calley, a Charlie Company platoon commander, who was convicted of premeditated murder by a court martial and sentenced to life imprisonment. After various reviews and appeals, he served only four and a half months. Twelve officers were accused of covering up the incident. Only one was tried by court-martial, and he was acquitted.
*************************************************
Captain Michles had served his first 6 months as a Company Commander and was moved to the position of S-2. On the morning of 13 June 1968 Co A 4-3 Infantry had come in contact with an unknown sized enemy force in the Batangin area vicinity My Lai. Colonel Barker, the battalion commander along with Captain Michles and the the Battalion Forward observer left the fire base at Lz Dottie via helicopter to coordinate Co A's mission when the helicopter was "cut-in-half" by an air force FAC who was working in the adjoing AO with the ARVN's. After firing a marking rocket to mark enemy positions for the ARVN unit the plane ran into Colonel Barkers C&C ship which was hovering over co A's position. Colonel Barker, Captain Michles, Lieutenant Phillips and the helicopter crew were all killed.
*****************************************
Additional information about this casualty:
In 1993, a Vietnamese man searching for aluminum scrap at the crash site discovered human remains. Army investigators and a Vietnamese support team went in, and they found bits of bone and scraps of metal, fragments from the crash.
Carter had been the only crew member not positively identified years earlier. The purpose of the original mission was to take LTC Frank A. Barker, Jr. to find two companies from his battalion that had been pinned down by the Viet Cong.
He found them and called in Air Force aerial support. While the helicopter hovered nearby, the Air Force jets thundered in, bombing the Viet Cong. One plane got hit and spun into the helicopter causing both to crash. No one survived. Rescue crews found the Air Force pilot with a bullet through his head.
from Sun-Sentinel, Sunday, October 8, 1995
****************************
.
In Memory of….. Sp4 Frank Akeley Barker, Jr.
*** Buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Section 34 Grave 2083. interment 10/12/1995.
*** Burial: Barrancas National Cemetery, Pensacola, Escambia County, Florida, Plot: Section 30 Site 148
You may be gone, no longer living on this earth; but you will live on - in the memories of your family and friends. There will always be a part of you living in those who knew you. You will live on because we remember you!
FRANK AKELEY BARKER - Army - LTC - O5
Age: 40
Race: Caucasian
Date of Birth Jan 26, 1928
From: NEW HAVEN, CT
Religion: CONGREGATIONAL CHRISTIAN
Marital Status: Married - Dottie Barker on Dec. 1964 in Broward Co., Florida and Daughter, Paige Moore Barker
Birth: May 5, 1966 - Death: Jun. 29, 1966. Son, Frank Akeley Barker,III, Married 1988 in Broward, Florida. Three Grandchildren.
Parents: Father, Frank Akeley Barker,Sr. Born Oct. 28, 1906 and Died March 13, 1978 at the age of 72 yrs old in Dade,Florida. Mother, Ruth Barker.
***** My Father, My Hero
I'm the only child, of Lt. Col. Barker, my name is Frank Akeley Barker III. It is my privilege and pleasure to be of the same blood as this man. My father died when I was only 2, he adopted my older brother and sister, when he married my mother, Dottie Barker, where LZ., Dottie came from so I have no memories of him, only pictures. Everything I have read and seen points to the man that I would have taken pleasure in making proud. I now have 3 children that I have told all about their grandfather and we are enjoying spending time with my mother who has never remarried, because she feels she married a perfect man and when you have had the best, there can be no other. I thank everyone for their gracious comments and know that bravery lives on, in all of us who have lost.
Frank Barker
Son
Matthews, NC., 28105
***** Frank A. Barker Jr in the 1940 Census
First Name: Frank
Middle Name: A.
Last Name: Barker Suffix: Jr
Age at Time of Census: 12
Gender: Male
Race: White
Ethnicity: American
Birth Year: 1928
Birth Location: Connecticut
Residence: East Haven Town, New Haven, CT
Relationship to Head of Household: Son
Other People in Household:
Frank Barker
33 yrs, Male
Ruth Barker
29 yrs, Female
Pauline Barker
9 yrs, Female
***** According, to the book, My Lai, 4-A, Report on the Massacre and It's Aftermath by Seymour M. Hersh, Lt., Col., Barker planned the My Lai mission, with Capt. Medina. It was Medina who ordered Lt. Calley to take My Lai. The book leaves the reader with the impression that the orders were not detailed and in fact were vague to the extent that there were differences of opinion as to the objective of the mission.
Duty, honor, country.
Charles Lafferty
***** To my commander
I served with LTC Barker as his S-2. Col Barker was without question the finest CO I served under during my 20+ years of military service. A true gentleman who held the respect and admiration of all who had the honor and pleasure of serving along side him.
Rest in peace SIR. I think of you often.
Major (ret) Eugene M. Kotouc
LTC - O5 - Army - Regular
Length of service 18 years
His tour began on Nov 26, 1967
Casualty was on Jun 13, 1968
MILITARY DATA:
Service: Army of the United States
Grade at loss: O5
Rank: Lieutenant Colonel
ID No: OF114736
MOS: 51542: Infantry Unit Commander (Nuclear Qual)
Length Service: 18
Unit: HHC, 4TH BN, 3RD INFANTRY, 11TH INFANTRY BDE, AMERICAL DIV, USARV
CASUALTY DATA:
Start Tour: 11/26/1967
Incident Date: 06/13/1968
Casualty Date: 06/13/1968
Age at Loss: 40
Location: Quang Ngai Province, South Vietnam
Remains: Body recovered
Casualty Type: Hostile, died outright
Casualty Reason: Helicopter - Noncrew
Casualty Detail: Air loss or crash over land
In QUANG NGAI, SOUTH VIETNAM
HOSTILE, HELICOPTER - NONCREW
AIR LOSS, CRASH ON LAND
Body was recovered
Panel 57W - Line 6
Others in incident: Warrant Officer Johnson, Specialist 4 Milton, and Private First Class Weamer were crewmembers on the helicopter; and Lieutenant Colonel Barker, Captain Michles, and First Lieutenant Phillips were passengers.
Colonel Barker was the Battalion Commander at the My-Lai "Massacre," but was killed before the incident was made public.
On 16 March 1968, at about 0800, soldiers of Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 20th Infantry of the Americal Division assaulted a hamlet in South Vietnam's Quang Ngai Province called by the Vietnamese Thuan Yen but known to the Americans as My Lai 4.
On this morning, Charlie company was part of a temporarily assembled strike force called Task Force (TF) Barker, named for its commander Lieutenant Colonel Frank Barker.
The mission of TF Barker was to locate and destroy Vietcong main-force combat units in an area on the coast of the South China Sea known to be a VC political and military stronghold. The company met no resistance as it assaulted the hamlet, but by noon every living thing in My Lai that the troops could find, men, women, children, and livestock was dead.
According to South and North Vietnamese sources, 504 civilians were killed in and around My Lai. Charlie Company suffered one casualty, the result of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the foot. The company's after-action report claimed 128 enemy killed and three weapons recovered.
For over a year, the event lay dormant, but after a letter was sent to the Army and members of Congress by a recently-discharged soldier, the Army began an investigation and Seymour Hersh broke the story in the press. A number of soldiers from Charlie Company were charged with murder. All were acquitted or had their charges dropped except for Lieutenant William Calley, a Charlie Company platoon commander, who was convicted of premeditated murder by a court martial and sentenced to life imprisonment. After various reviews and appeals, he served only four and a half months. Twelve officers were accused of covering up the incident. Only one was tried by court-martial, and he was acquitted.
*************************************************
Captain Michles had served his first 6 months as a Company Commander and was moved to the position of S-2. On the morning of 13 June 1968 Co A 4-3 Infantry had come in contact with an unknown sized enemy force in the Batangin area vicinity My Lai. Colonel Barker, the battalion commander along with Captain Michles and the the Battalion Forward observer left the fire base at Lz Dottie via helicopter to coordinate Co A's mission when the helicopter was "cut-in-half" by an air force FAC who was working in the adjoing AO with the ARVN's. After firing a marking rocket to mark enemy positions for the ARVN unit the plane ran into Colonel Barkers C&C ship which was hovering over co A's position. Colonel Barker, Captain Michles, Lieutenant Phillips and the helicopter crew were all killed.
*****************************************
Additional information about this casualty:
In 1993, a Vietnamese man searching for aluminum scrap at the crash site discovered human remains. Army investigators and a Vietnamese support team went in, and they found bits of bone and scraps of metal, fragments from the crash.
Carter had been the only crew member not positively identified years earlier. The purpose of the original mission was to take LTC Frank A. Barker, Jr. to find two companies from his battalion that had been pinned down by the Viet Cong.
He found them and called in Air Force aerial support. While the helicopter hovered nearby, the Air Force jets thundered in, bombing the Viet Cong. One plane got hit and spun into the helicopter causing both to crash. No one survived. Rescue crews found the Air Force pilot with a bullet through his head.
from Sun-Sentinel, Sunday, October 8, 1995
****************************
.
*** Buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Section 34 Grave 2083. interment 10/12/1995.
*** Burial: Barrancas National Cemetery, Pensacola, Escambia County, Florida, Plot: Section 30 Site 148
You may be gone, no longer living on this earth; but you will live on - in the memories of your family and friends. There will always be a part of you living in those who knew you. You will live on because we remember you!
FRANK AKELEY BARKER - Army - LTC - O5
Age: 40
Race: Caucasian
Date of Birth Jan 26, 1928
From: NEW HAVEN, CT
Religion: CONGREGATIONAL CHRISTIAN
Marital Status: Married - Dottie Barker on Dec. 1964 in Broward Co., Florida and Daughter, Paige Moore Barker
Birth: May 5, 1966 - Death: Jun. 29, 1966. Son, Frank Akeley Barker,III, Married 1988 in Broward, Florida. Three Grandchildren.
Parents: Father, Frank Akeley Barker,Sr. Born Oct. 28, 1906 and Died March 13, 1978 at the age of 72 yrs old in Dade,Florida. Mother, Ruth Barker.
***** My Father, My Hero
I'm the only child, of Lt. Col. Barker, my name is Frank Akeley Barker III. It is my privilege and pleasure to be of the same blood as this man. My father died when I was only 2, he adopted my older brother and sister, when he married my mother, Dottie Barker, where LZ., Dottie came from so I have no memories of him, only pictures. Everything I have read and seen points to the man that I would have taken pleasure in making proud. I now have 3 children that I have told all about their grandfather and we are enjoying spending time with my mother who has never remarried, because she feels she married a perfect man and when you have had the best, there can be no other. I thank everyone for their gracious comments and know that bravery lives on, in all of us who have lost.
Frank Barker
Son
Matthews, NC., 28105
***** Frank A. Barker Jr in the 1940 Census
First Name: Frank
Middle Name: A.
Last Name: Barker Suffix: Jr
Age at Time of Census: 12
Gender: Male
Race: White
Ethnicity: American
Birth Year: 1928
Birth Location: Connecticut
Residence: East Haven Town, New Haven, CT
Relationship to Head of Household: Son
Other People in Household:
Frank Barker
33 yrs, Male
Ruth Barker
29 yrs, Female
Pauline Barker
9 yrs, Female
***** According, to the book, My Lai, 4-A, Report on the Massacre and It's Aftermath by Seymour M. Hersh, Lt., Col., Barker planned the My Lai mission, with Capt. Medina. It was Medina who ordered Lt. Calley to take My Lai. The book leaves the reader with the impression that the orders were not detailed and in fact were vague to the extent that there were differences of opinion as to the objective of the mission.
Duty, honor, country.
Charles Lafferty
***** To my commander
I served with LTC Barker as his S-2. Col Barker was without question the finest CO I served under during my 20+ years of military service. A true gentleman who held the respect and admiration of all who had the honor and pleasure of serving along side him.
Rest in peace SIR. I think of you often.
Major (ret) Eugene M. Kotouc
LTC - O5 - Army - Regular
Length of service 18 years
His tour began on Nov 26, 1967
Casualty was on Jun 13, 1968
MILITARY DATA:
Service: Army of the United States
Grade at loss: O5
Rank: Lieutenant Colonel
ID No: OF114736
MOS: 51542: Infantry Unit Commander (Nuclear Qual)
Length Service: 18
Unit: HHC, 4TH BN, 3RD INFANTRY, 11TH INFANTRY BDE, AMERICAL DIV, USARV
CASUALTY DATA:
Start Tour: 11/26/1967
Incident Date: 06/13/1968
Casualty Date: 06/13/1968
Age at Loss: 40
Location: Quang Ngai Province, South Vietnam
Remains: Body recovered
Casualty Type: Hostile, died outright
Casualty Reason: Helicopter - Noncrew
Casualty Detail: Air loss or crash over land
In QUANG NGAI, SOUTH VIETNAM
HOSTILE, HELICOPTER - NONCREW
AIR LOSS, CRASH ON LAND
Body was recovered
Panel 57W - Line 6
Others in incident: Warrant Officer Johnson, Specialist 4 Milton, and Private First Class Weamer were crewmembers on the helicopter; and Lieutenant Colonel Barker, Captain Michles, and First Lieutenant Phillips were passengers.
Colonel Barker was the Battalion Commander at the My-Lai "Massacre," but was killed before the incident was made public.
On 16 March 1968, at about 0800, soldiers of Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 20th Infantry of the Americal Division assaulted a hamlet in South Vietnam's Quang Ngai Province called by the Vietnamese Thuan Yen but known to the Americans as My Lai 4.
On this morning, Charlie company was part of a temporarily assembled strike force called Task Force (TF) Barker, named for its commander Lieutenant Colonel Frank Barker.
The mission of TF Barker was to locate and destroy Vietcong main-force combat units in an area on the coast of the South China Sea known to be a VC political and military stronghold. The company met no resistance as it assaulted the hamlet, but by noon every living thing in My Lai that the troops could find, men, women, children, and livestock was dead.
According to South and North Vietnamese sources, 504 civilians were killed in and around My Lai. Charlie Company suffered one casualty, the result of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the foot. The company's after-action report claimed 128 enemy killed and three weapons recovered.
For over a year, the event lay dormant, but after a letter was sent to the Army and members of Congress by a recently-discharged soldier, the Army began an investigation and Seymour Hersh broke the story in the press. A number of soldiers from Charlie Company were charged with murder. All were acquitted or had their charges dropped except for Lieutenant William Calley, a Charlie Company platoon commander, who was convicted of premeditated murder by a court martial and sentenced to life imprisonment. After various reviews and appeals, he served only four and a half months. Twelve officers were accused of covering up the incident. Only one was tried by court-martial, and he was acquitted.
*************************************************
Captain Michles had served his first 6 months as a Company Commander and was moved to the position of S-2. On the morning of 13 June 1968 Co A 4-3 Infantry had come in contact with an unknown sized enemy force in the Batangin area vicinity My Lai. Colonel Barker, the battalion commander along with Captain Michles and the the Battalion Forward observer left the fire base at Lz Dottie via helicopter to coordinate Co A's mission when the helicopter was "cut-in-half" by an air force FAC who was working in the adjoing AO with the ARVN's. After firing a marking rocket to mark enemy positions for the ARVN unit the plane ran into Colonel Barkers C&C ship which was hovering over co A's position. Colonel Barker, Captain Michles, Lieutenant Phillips and the helicopter crew were all killed.
*****************************************
Additional information about this casualty:
In 1993, a Vietnamese man searching for aluminum scrap at the crash site discovered human remains. Army investigators and a Vietnamese support team went in, and they found bits of bone and scraps of metal, fragments from the crash.
Carter had been the only crew member not positively identified years earlier. The purpose of the original mission was to take LTC Frank A. Barker, Jr. to find two companies from his battalion that had been pinned down by the Viet Cong.
He found them and called in Air Force aerial support. While the helicopter hovered nearby, the Air Force jets thundered in, bombing the Viet Cong. One plane got hit and spun into the helicopter causing both to crash. No one survived. Rescue crews found the Air Force pilot with a bullet through his head.
from Sun-Sentinel, Sunday, October 8, 1995
****************************
.
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